This invention relates to an air bag arranged to inflate and deploy from a folded state by a supplied inflation gas to protect an occupant, and a folding method of the air bag.
A Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-91471 discloses an air bag apparatus for a passenger seat which is provided to an instrument panel portion of a vehicle. This air bag apparatus includes an inflator arranged to supply an inflation gas, and an air bag including a bag-shaped air bag main body portion folded into a predetermined shape. The air bag apparatus is arranged to inflate and deploy the air bag main body portion forward of an occupant seated on the passenger seat at a collision of the vehicle, by supply of an inflation gas from the inflator, so as to relive the impact acted to the occupant.
In the above-described air bag apparatus, the air bag main body portion is folded by a predetermined width in a vehicle widthwise direction. Folding portions are formed, respectively, on a front side which is the instrument panel portion side of an introduction opening of the inflation gas from the inflator, that is, a counter-occupant side, and on a rear side which is an occupant side (of the introduction opening). The folding portion on the occupant side is folded into a rolled shape on the introduction opening side to confront the introduction opening. Moreover, the folding portion on the counter-occupant side is folded into a bellows shape (accordion shape) to be positioned on the folding portion on the occupant side which is folded into the rolled shape. The thus-folded member is received within an air bag cover member.